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Statistical Investigations   355

The next schedule I have come across is termed a "Biographical Register." It starts with a genealogy of the subject as far as the grandparents and their descendants with a space for more distant relatives. Then follows the biographical register proper with a column for each age period of seven years, with spaces for education (class lists), amusements (tastes and pursuits), accidents and bad illnesses, anthropometric- tests at various ages, and other characteristics. The "Notes" show that personal appearance, pigmentation, height, weight, etc. were to be included, and eventually marriage and children. There is not a doubt but that this was the original scheme from which the Life-History Album sprung. The interesting point is that this biographical register was designed for undergraduates. The returns were apparently to be preserved in the archives of the colleges for future statistical purposes and for the compilation of college histories.

"It is believed that a large collection of personal and family records such as these, would furnish important data for investigating the social and hereditary antecedents that are most favourable to success in college and after life. They will certainly protect from oblivion many facts that may hereafter prove of considerable biographical interest to the undergraduates themselves and to their families; possibly to a much wider circle."

Again there appears to have been no result from this schedule, even if it were ever issued to an undergraduate population. The author of this biography knows only too well-having collected with the aid of colleagues two long series of schedules from undergraduates-how hard is the task; each series took four to six years to collect even by those who were actually working and teaching among the population ; and Galton had none of these advantages. The very wealth which enabled him to carry out effectively' his experimental ideas, prevented him from seeking and holding a teaching post, whereby he could have created more quickly a school, and been able to collect adequate material. It would be hard to say whether the balance was one of gain or loss to the world. There were factors in Galton's character-his invariable courtesy and kindliness, his love of simple methods, his sympathy with younger minds, and his suggestive enthusiasm-which would have made

Decimal System. We translate the binary into the ordinary scale. Thus

 

Grade of kinship

Father's Side

I   Mother's Side

Child   ...   ...

1

 

Parents ...   ...

2   3

Grandparents   ...

I

r   -

4   5   6   7

 

i   i   i   i

Great-grandparents

8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15

etc.

etc.   etc.

A want of these systems is an expression for the sibship of any individual, his or her brothers and sisters, or again for his or her nephews and nieces, uncles and aunts. . Perhaps decimal figures might be added.

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